Blogger Acquitted In Threatening Case Sues For $50 Million

Hal Turner Says He Was Wrongly Imprisoned

December 03, 2012|By DAVID OWENS, dowens@courant.com, The Hartford Courant

HARTFORD — — A New Jersey blogger who was acquitted a year ago on charges of threatening and inciting violence against three Connecticut officials has filed a federal lawsuit against the officials and several others.

Harold C. "Hal" Turner, who is seeking $50 million in damages, claims that he was falsely arrested, wrongfully imprisoned, subject to unlawful prior restraint of speech, and maliciously prosecuted. He filed the suit Nov. 21 and mailed it to the defendants last week.

Turner names in his lawsuit Michael Lawlor, a former state representative who is now under-secretary for criminal justice policy and planning in the state Office of Policy and Management; Andrew McDonald, a former state senator who is now the governor's general counsel; Timothy Boyle, a Capitol police officer; the late Michael J. Fallon, who was chief of the Capitol Police when Turner was charged; retired state prosecutor Dennis O'Connor; Assistant State's Attorney Thomas Garcia, who prosecuted Turner; David Bednarz, the governor's deputy press secretary; Thomas K. Jones of the office of state ethics; and the state.

Those named in the suit who could be reacheddeclined to comment. Perry Zinn-Rowthorn, associate attorney general for litigation, said: "We will review the complaint and respond at the appropriate time and in the appropriate fashion."

In a 2009 blog post, Turner called on Catholics to "take up arms and put down this tyranny by force."

He was provoked by a bill, introduced by legislatures judiciary committee, of which Lawlor and McDonald were co-chairman, to give lay members more say in the financial matters of the Roman Catholic Church. Jones, an official in the state ethics office, also decided to investigate whether church officials violated lobbying laws in protesting the bill.

In the same blog post, Turner wrote that the following night he would give out the home addresses of Lawlor, McDonald and Jones on his radio program.

"These beastly government officials should be made an example of as a warning to others in government: Obey the Constitution or die," he wrote. "If any state attorney, police department or court thinks they're going to get uppity with us about this; I suspect we have enough bullets to put them down, too."

Capitol Police obtained a warrant for Turner's arrest and he was taken into custody in New Jersey before he could go on his radio program the next day.

During the trial, McDonald and Jones testified that Turner's blog post shook them. "I interpreted this as people were going to be coming to my house in 24 hours with bullets and guns," Jones testified.

Turner, in his closing argument to the jury, said, "The state is prosecuting me simply for uttering words and there's a problem with that, because in the United State of America people are supposed to be free to express their opinions."

He sought to undermine the charges by saying that releasing the addresses of the officials was not an act of physical force or violence. "I never said, 'Go attack these men,' " he said. "I chose my words very carefully."

Although the jury acquitted Turner, it did not care for his commentary.

"Although we found him not guilty, we don't think he was innocent," juror Ann Parise said after the trial. The blog post that prompted the charges was "outrageous," she said.

After the acquittal, Turner returned to federal prison, where he was serving a sentence for threatening three federal judges in Chicago. He was released in October.